Theresa's Buzz for a Cure Quite a Hair Razing Event

Theresa Salas was part of the Finance Committee for the 2014 Colton’s Relay for Life. When she saw their donation total get near $129,000, she felt like she had to do something more. “I knew I couldn’t give all that money, but I knew that I could give all that I had that was dear to me,” said Salas. And that… was her hair. Falling in dark curls around her face and down her back, Salas was inspired to send out a challenge to the Colton Relay for Life sixty-seven teams. If they reached $130,000 in total donations, she would let them buzz off her hair. Called Theresa’s Buzz for a Cure, the challenge was for each team member to donate just $5 each to help reach that $130,000 marker. With the Relay’s facebook page a buzz about the Buzz, Salas made a date for the showdown. On Monday, July 7, 2014, at the Communications Workers Union Hall 9588 auditorium at 190 West G Street in Colton, Theresa Salas brought out friends, family and Colton Relay Team members to watch her long locks be shorn all in the name of finding a cure for all cancers. Salas stepped forward to help raise funds to find the cure after a close friend who was recently diagnosed with the disease for the second time, and several family members who had fought the illness as well. Throughout the night there was a smile on her face remembering why she was sacrificing her hair, explaining, “My haircut will be a springboard to talk to people about finding the cure. My focus is on the people who need us to find a cure. All of us know more than one person affected by this disease, it’s time to get rid of it.” Paula Flores, President of Colton Relay for Life and Team Captain of Fighting Fierce, started a bidding war for the first cut: chopping off Theresa’s long ponytail. The next round would be a go at the hair clippers to shear off the rest of her hair. Bidding went fast and furious, and the honor of making the first cut to the ponytail went to Theresa’s own son, John. Friend Deborah Grijalva and local ProShop Automotive business owner Esteban Gonzalez split the bid to shave the rest of Theresa’s hair off. Grijalva said, “Theresa and I have worked together for the past six years, and I wanted to be the one that would shave her head to support her decision. She’s very brave to do this.” Gonzalez shared that he was there to support the Colton Relay for Life cause, having experienced the Relay for the first time last May. “I joined last year just to show support for our community,” he said, “and then I realized how many people in my life had been affected by cancer.” He said he would be back again at the Relay in 2015. Vince Castro, another Colton Relay for Life team member, joined in the cause and had his hair shaved too. He was making the effort as a dedication to the memory of his granddaughter Mina Michelle Alva, who passed away at 9 years old due to a brain tumor, his brother-in-law Richard Bocanegra, who is in remission now, and his cousin Mary Ellen Portales. At evening’s end, Salas’ efforts brought in close to $1,000, according to Yvonne England, Specialist for the American Cancer Society. With team donations brought in that night to go along with that amount, the Colton Relay for Life donation total toppled the $130,000 goal. Colton Relay President Paula Flores said, “I am so inspired by Theresa’s willingness to do this, she has already sacrificed so much of her time and talents, it’s amazing that she would be so determined to find another way to make a difference in other’s lives.”